Wire gripper



Dec, 30, 1924.

J. G. JUDD WIRE GRIPPER Filed March 8, 1924 "l HD Patented Dec. 3G,lQZX-l.

OFFICE.

JOHN G. JUDD, OF BETRGLT? EEIGHEGAN.

'WRE GRIPPER.

Application led March 8, 1924. Serial No, 697,804.

Be it known that l, Jorrit G, Joon, a citi- Jen of the United `rtates,residing at Det-foin in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan7 haveinvented. certain new and useful Improvements inV llVire Grippers.n ofwhich the following is a specification,

This invention relates to improvements in wire gripper-si, orcome-alongs, designed for use in connection with the erection oftelephone, telegraph. power-transmission. fence wires, and the like.yand has for its object to provide 'a novel and simple portable device ofthe class by which wires of different size may be positively gripped andstretched taut, without requiring any change or setting of the workingparts. A further object is to provide a light and durable wire grippe'.`comprising a pair of self-adjusting members` which are pivotally mountedin a strong metal body and which. are arranged to positively grip theopposite sides of the wire; the said members beine' normally held in theclosed or idle posit on by suitable tension means. And a further objectis to provide a wire gripper which may be readily and quickly snapped onto a wire. by pressing the device against the wire with suflicient forceto spread the gripping members: the said members being rotatablysupported in socket-bearings, which share with the pivot bolts all ofthe strains, and at the same time render the action of the members morepositive and less liable to let loose and chafe or otherwise injure thewires.

l attain these objects by the means set forth in the detaileddescription which follows. and as illustrated by the accompanyingdrawing. in which- Figure l is a top plan view of the complete device;showing the gripping members in the idle position. Fig, 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on line of2; showing the device gripping a wire. And Fi 4- is respectively a.top-face. and an edge View of one of the gripping members.

In the drawing. 2 represents generali).Y the body of the grippen whichcomprises a relativelyT broad hollow head 2 and a 'Hat tapering handle2a, the latter having an opening 2b near its free end5 by means of whicha pulling rope or chain (not shown) of any suitable length, may besecured. The top portion of the head 2 is preferably dividedlongitudinally by an upwardly facing groove 2, running centrally throughthe head, into which the wires, as 3. to be gripped and stretched7 maybe disposed. The groove 2 is preferably broad enough to accommodate-wires up to about one-half inch in diameter. The open top of the head2, at the opposite sides of the groove 2, is clcsed by similar caps orplates 4;, which are preferably held in place by rivets 4e. These platesform with 'the head lateral chambers or porlets 5 5. in which thegripping members as 6-6 are pivotally disposed. by moans of bolts 7,which pass loosely through the base 2d and the gripping members, and arethen screwed into threaded openings 4; of the caps l. The members 6-6are substantially pear-shaped, and their enlarged portions or lobes 6are preferably formed truly concentric to the pivots T, andoperativelj.'v lit into correspondingly curved wall portions 2e of thehead, thereby providing ball-and-socket bearings? which tend to preventthe gripping members from being forced outwardly when the strainsresultingI from the gripping and straightening of the wires are exertedagainst the bolts 7. The opposite exposed edges of. the members 6-6.which project into the groove 2C. are correspondingly serrated. as at6C. for affording a positive ygrip of the wire 3 (see Fig. 3). Themembers 6 6 are .normally held in the idle or closed position shown inFig. l. by springs 8, the corresponding ends 8 of which engage slots 6dof the members. while their opposite ends 8a are supported by the outerlateral walls of the head, as best seen in Fig. The gripper may beapplied to any portion of the wires; although Figs. 2 and f3 show thedevice applied near the free end of the wire 5,. lVhere wires of heavygage are beineerected. a block-and-tackle (not shown) is usuallyattached to the handle 2aT for suitably stretching the wires. Owing tothe novel design and the extremely simple construction and arrangementof the device my gripper complete. for ordinary use, weighs but` atrifle more than one pound, and may be readily carried in a linemanspocketr1 or may be suspended from his bell. like his pliers and othersmall tools.

When the gripper is placed in position on a wire. the taking up of theslack of the wire is effected by pulling the gripper towards the right,as shown by the arrows in Figs. l, 2 and 3.. This movement of the grip-1961" tends te tritate the members. 6ft te vWards. eachgother andtightens the grip. on;

the wire iii proportion to the stress of the pull.

Having thus described my what I claim, is-

l. A wire gripper comprising a body having a hollow head dividedinto.similar tacing chambers and a reduced handle, by Whichthe body issupported and` moved When stretching-a wire, a pair: ot' oppositelvfac-ing gripping members pivoted in said chambers, the facingedgesolEsaid members projectingbeyondy said Chambers and said members:beingserrated. for positively grip- Png'a wire, the serrated edges otsaid members adapted to ycontact with eachother when the wire removed,and tension means for normallyiA and resilieiitly holding saidmeminvention` vbers in the closed.V position.

A device. ott-he class described, comA prisinggal hollow head and atapering handle byiivhich the. headis'supported during the stretchingofa \vii,e,said head having similar chambers separatedbv a, centrallongitudinalgroovevivhieh is formed inthe top tace of the head in line.vith-the handle, a ro tatable gripping member pivotally, mountediii-,each chanibei,th`e lobe ot each member trictioiially engagingV aconcentric Wall-poition ot the head, andteiision,means for noi'- mallyfforcing the, members towards .v each other.

3., A iviiergripper, and slaclrtahe-up,coniprising, a` hollow` head, anda perforated handle by. which e the head is supported While stretching aWire as Well` as When which receive portions of said members and 1relieve the strain on-the bolts, and springs ttor yieldingly holdingsaid serrated edges normally in contact. i

#LA Wire stretcher consisting o'f-a combined lhead and handle by whichthe head supported and operatechthe head having its top tace formed witha normally open cavi and with a longitudinal slot for supporting a Wireduring` the stretching, the bottom ot the slot and the top side of thehandle being in a common plane, the said slot dividingthe said cavityinto Vfacing sockets, Wire grip' ping membersl piro-tally mounted insaid sockets, the facing` edges of said members being serrated and saidedges adapted to Contact at the center ot said slot when the device isremoved from the wire?, aiid'similar caps overlying the open sides ot.'said sockets at the opposite sides of saidslotn and. pivoting meanspassing through said caps,

said members, andthe bottom Walls ot "the sockets. 'n

In testimony whereof I attix my signature.

JOHN Gr. JUDD. f

